University Libraries Committee

Minutes for 17 February 2010

Present: Tarek Abdel-Salam, Larry Boyer, Jeff Coghill (for Dorothy Spencer), John Heilmann, Cheryl McFadden, Chris Riley-Tillman, Margit Schmidt, Patrick Valentine, David Wilson-Okamura.

The meeting was called to order at 3:00.

The minutes of the 20 January 2010 meeting were accepted as submitted.

Boyer announced an art exhibit and reception for March 1. Additional funding of $370,000 was approved to purchase furnishing the first floor for student collaborations and some for the second floor. ITCS will also outfit a new room for creating presentations and course film viewings. The next Facultea, on Feb. 25, will feature Larry Tise (History) speaking about the Wright Brothers.

Boyer noted that attendance at the last Facultea was low. Is there a better way to advertise than mass email? Riley-Tillman suggested a targeted email to new faculty.

One faculty forum discussion, with both directories and faculty from both campuses invited, is being planned for next month. It was agreed that the discussion should be recorded for the benefit of those who could not attend.

In the absence of other new business, there was continued discussion of the library budget.

McFadden: where did the furniture money come from? Boyer: the Chancellor’s budget had some left over money, which deans were invited to suggest uses for; it helped that we could spend the money by June 30 and that no physical changes would need to be made to the library. Valentine: why not use some of the money for more books? Boyer: all books have to be in building by June 30 and this requires more lead-time. Coghill: backfiles, which Laupus anticipates buying at the end of the year, can be purchased more quickly. Valentine: what furniture do we already have? Boyer: new groups moving into the library, such as the Pirate Tutoring program, have already made use of the university’s surplus stocks. This program is now drawing between 200 and 250 students three nights a week.

The meeting adjourned at 3:35.